


Helping Hands

by Evil_Little_Dog



Series: Mirror Series [3]
Category: Angel: the Series, Buffy the Vampire Slayer, Fullmetal Alchemist
Genre: Community: hc_bingo, Embarrassment, Gen, Hurt/Comfort, Prompt Fic
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2013-04-30
Updated: 2013-04-30
Packaged: 2017-12-09 23:39:11
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,014
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/779294
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Evil_Little_Dog/pseuds/Evil_Little_Dog
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Summary:  Dawn helps Alphonse with his meal.<br/>Disclaimer:  I own absolutely nothing of this, but if I did…I’d be a happy little fan girl.</p>
            </blockquote>





	Helping Hands

**Author's Note:**

  * For [kalirush](https://archiveofourown.org/users/kalirush/gifts).



> Written for the Live Journal comm, HC_Bingo, for the prompt of, "Therapy".

Food was strange, but somehow familiar, in this new world. Alphonse eyed the bread pudding in front of him, thinking that, while it looked and smelled amazing, he really wanted to try that “peetsa” Edward and Ling had eaten yesterday; some sort of tomato-paste pie, loaded with spices and vegetables and meats and cheese. Ling couldn’t stop raving about it, and, considering he’d eaten his way not only across Xing, but also Amestris, that had to mean something. 

With a sigh, Alphonse worked at grasping the spoon so he could try to feed himself. He’d heard their whispers, that he shouldn’t be alive, that his body needed time, and probably a lot more medical care than their new friends might be able to offer. But he’d also heard that there weren’t any hospitals available, no where to take him, so he might as well stay at this hotel. 

There were all sorts of people in the hotel. Alphonse could hear them wandering the halls and talking. Last night, Willow and Xander had brought in something called a television, and set it up so it played movies. Popcorn and ‘peetsa’ for everyone but him – and it smelled so good! Enough to make Alphonse’s mouth water so much, he needed a napkin – and a couple of movies from what Xander said was “The Evil Dead Trilogy”. It was weird; a horror movie, Xander’d explained, and he and Edward’d argued whether it made any sense that the dead could rise and attack people. Alphonse had thought, out loud, that Winry might want to see a chain saw hand attachment, and Edward had screeched, his braid shocking up and his eyes wide at the idea. 

A brunette head popped in the door, with a big smile that only faltered a little bit at the sight of him. “Hi,” the girl said, coming into the room. “I’m Dawn.” She held out her hand. “I hear you’re Alphonse Elric.” 

Alphonse let the spoon clatter back onto the tray with the pudding. “That’s me…Al.” He offered her his hand in return. 

She took it, giving it a light squeeze and a shake, still smiling. “It’s nice to meet you, Al. I thought I should come see you.” Her mouth quirked. “As we’re in the same position – too weak to get into fights with anything out there right now.” 

“You don’t look weak,” Alphonse protested. She was kind of cute, maybe a few years older than he was, he guessed, though there was an aged quality to her eyes. He wondered if his own were the same. 

“Yeah, I practice with the Slayers, but to Buffy, and the Scoobies, and Giles, and Angel, and Spike,” she sighed and rolled her eyes, “I’m still just ‘little Dawny’.” Gesturing at the spoon, she asked, “Do you need some help with that?”

Wanting to say ‘no’, Alphonse tried to pick it up again. His fingers didn’t curl quite right to hold it properly. “I guess I do.” 

Dawn tilted her head, her hair sliding over her shoulder like a rich, walnut curtain of silk. She took the spoon, and carefully wrapped his fingers around it. “How’s that?”

“Heavy,” Alphonse blurted out, feeling his cheeks warm up. “It’s stupid, isn’t it? I can barely hold a spoon! And I…I was going to fight…” 

“It’s okay.” Her smile warmed him. “We’ll both be able to fight some day.” Guiding his hand down to scoop up some of the pudding, she helped him carry it to his mouth. 

The sweetness of the pudding exploded in his mouth, the creamy texture making him moan. His face heated up more as the little bit of food melted on his tongue. “Sorry,” he mumbled, once he finally swallowed. 

Dawn gave his hand a light squeeze, helping him scoop up more pudding. “Think of it as therapy.” 

Embarrassing therapy, Alphonse thought, then remembered everything Granny and Winry had put Edward through, when he was learning to use his automail. Plus everything else that had happened with Edward’s body – geeze, Alphonse wished he hadn’t remembered _that_ particular image, and Edward screaming at Winry and hiding his crotch with his metal hand and – “Ugh!” 

Dawn asked, worried, “Don’t you like the pudding?”

“No, the pudding, it’s good, just.” Alphonse shook his head, hating his bangs falling in his eyes. How did Edward stand it? “A bad memory.” ‘Gross’ was probably more appropriate, but Alphonse didn’t want to explain that to a girl he’d just met. 

“Oh.” Dawn glanced down at their hands, still joined together. “I know about those.” 

“I guess everyone does,” Alphonse said, managing a smile that dissolved into a yawn. “Sorry! I think I’ve eaten enough for now. I’m getting sleepy.” 

“Okay. Do you want me to sit here with you, or…I could leave you alone? Your brother and your friend are downstairs arguing with Buffy and Angel over that demon you brought with you guys when you appeared.” 

“Envy. It’s a homunculus,” Alphonse said in explanation. “A created being.” Dawn blinked a few times, and he recognized that expression – she was going to do some research. He wondered if homunculi were the same in this world, then remembered a few things he’d seen when Edward and Ling were protecting him in that storm. Whatever they’d been, they weren’t human. Maybe chimeras, but definitely not human. “If you want to stay, it’s okay. It’s nice having someone here. I was alone for a really long time. Just hearing someone breathing – you can’t imagine how amazing it is, knowing there’s another person with me.” 

Dawn moved the tray off of Alphonse’s bed, setting it aside. She rearranged herself on the chair, and took his hand, twining their fingers together. “Then I’m not going anywhere, Al.” 

He wished he wasn’t yawning, but by the smile Dawn wore, she didn’t think it was too rude. “Thank you.” Alphonse tried to fight back another yawn and failed. “Don’t let – let Ed chase you off. He’ll try.” 

Her soft chuckle followed him into his sleep, her words, “Let him,” ringing through his dreams.


End file.
